Rep. Candice Pierucci

Maddy summaryHB 326 requires Utah state correctional facilities and county jails to test all female inmates for pregnancy upon admission, collect parental information (including number and ages of minor children), and report two specific data points to the State Commission on Criminal and Juvenile Justice: the number of pregnant inmates and the number of inmate parents with minor children. It also updates the structure of the Correctional Postnatal and Early Childhood Advisory Board and extends its repeal date. The bill affects all female inmates in Utah's correctional system and mandates new data collection and reporting procedures without appropriating new funds. These changes aim to improve tracking of pregnant and parenting inmates within the state's correctional facilities.

Maddy summarySB 321 removes a "hold harmless" rule that previously protected Utah school districts from losing state funding when they increased local school taxes (called "voted" or "board" levies"). The bill phases out this protection gradually and limits the number of local levy increments eligible for guaranteed state funding to 20 total (combining both voted and board levies), instead of separate limits for each type. This change directly affects school districts that rely on local levies to supplement education funding, as they may now receive less state support when raising taxes beyond the new cap. The bill does not alter the per-pupil funding amount ($43.10) but modifies how the state covers local levy increases.

Maddy summarySB 32 modifies Utah's class size reduction program by gradually narrowing the grade levels covered, shifting from kindergarten through grade 8 (2024-2025) to kindergarten through grade 3 (2028-2029 and beyond). It requires 50% of funds to be used specifically for reducing class sizes in kindergarten through grade 3, with an emphasis on improving student reading skills. The bill expands allowable uses of funds to include instructional coaches, reading specialists, special education staff, English learner staff, and paraprofessionals for targeted instruction. School districts must establish public policies defining minimum teacher-to-student ratios for each grade level and report on compliance.

Maddy summaryHB 455 amends Utah's Fits All Scholarship Program to directly affect families using the scholarship and program managers. Key changes include strengthening residency and income verification, prohibiting contracted entities from charging families processing fees, and limiting extracurricular and physical education expenses to 20% of the scholarship amount each. The bill creates a financial administrator to process payments, establishes a scholarship account that can earn interest, and adds procedures for students with special needs. It also enhances program accountability through audits and requires specific annual reports from the program manager.

Maddy summaryThis bill updates Utah state law to allow foreign exchange students to enroll in the Statewide Online Education Program. By amending the definition of an eligible student, it ensures that students sponsored by approved agencies and living in Utah can access online courses for middle and high school credit. The change applies retroactively to January 1, 2024, meaning these students could have participated in the program during that period.